Beach Sand and Lab Goggles
by La-Abeja
Summary: Pristine sand and throws of beach goers. Perfect for beach fun, only Professor Membrane style.Oneshot.


Beach Sand and Lab Goggles

Written by La-Abeja

Invader ZIM and characters copyright JCV, Viacom and Nick.

-

The stark glare of pristine beach sand could blind- it was a fact. Or at least cause one to go cross-eyed. Especially while reading. However, Professor Membrane had nothing to worry about, not with his thick laboratory goggles on.

Why was Professor Membrane wearing thick lab goggles while at the beach, one may ask? Simple, he wasn't at the beach for fun.

Definitely not.

No- never.

He was there on business. Simple and utter business.

"_Dib_." Heavy and brimming with authority, and yet still to a degree fatherly, Membrane called out to a small boy splashing in the receding waves.

Turning the boy waved his hand enthusiastically, before running up to where his father ushered with a gloved hand.

Professor Membrane was not at the beach for fun. This was stated loudly and _clearly _simply by his attire. A long white lab coat, the already noted heavy goggles and of course, laboratory gloves. He was not at the beach for fun.

However, Dib was.

Ushering the child over Membrane sorted through a large canvas 'beach bag', if it could really be called such a thing. It was full to the brim with manila folders stock full of papers, clashing with a few sand toys, and the newly pulled out 'floaties'.

Pulling down his collar just slightly Membrane quickly blew up the bright yellow flotation devices, his son fidgeting all the while beside him.

"Just what _are _you wearing?"

Membrane snorted and finished bloating the child flotation devices with air before turning to look towards his colleague, a man by the name of Simmons.

Unlike Professor Membrane, who was _not _at the beach for 'fun', Simmons was quite unrecognizable. The middle aged man was wearing long swim shorts, and an open Hawaiian shirt.

Most interestingly was the tiny girl, smaller than Dib, glaring about the beach behind him.

Glancing at his colleague, his most trusted colleague, Membrane snorted, "You look ridiculous."

"_I_ look ridiculous? You, Membrane, are the one that wanted to take your children to the beach for a 'normal' experience. You show up in a lab coat...

"_You _look ridiculous."

Membrane perhaps rolled his eyes, it was impossible to tell behind the laboratory goggles.

Leaning down the father took the boy, Dib's, arm and slid the flotation devices up to a safe height. "Alright Son"

Taking the cue the child giggled and turning sprinted, or sprinted as well as he could, back towards the gurgling waves.

"Gaz, do you want to go in the water with your brother?" Simmons asked looking down towards the child behind him. Her dark purple-haired head pivoted upwards to look at him, a deep scowl upon her young face. He would take that as a no.

"Daughter." This time Gaz looked upwards at her father, a rather indifferent look upon her face. After a moment she walked forward and Membrane slipped her own floaties up her arms as well. Just in case.

Gaz, however, did not run off towards the water. Instead she stood silently behind Membrane, much too quiet for a child.

"Really Membrane, if you wanted normal- this isn't it." Simmons looked around at the populated beach.

"Hm?"

"No one else has _paperwork _at the beach. And no one else is wearing a coat of any kind, nor boots, or goggles, at least goggles of _that _size-"

"Simmons." Membrane interrupted him, it was quite effective. "_I _am not at the beach for pleasure; I am instead providing Dib and Gaz normal child behavior."

Simmons scoffed, "Yes, it _is _normal for children to go to the beach. Their parents often go _with _them. Sometimes _in _the water? What do you have under that coat, fire-proof vest? Chemical-proof?"

Membrane stared blankly again for a moment, "A wet suit."

Simmons stared at him; a large grin began to crack, yet before he could begin to, doubtlessly, erupt in laughter Membrane was already turned away.

"Dib!"

Turning Simmons could see that Membrane was already walking towards the bubbling sea, his daughter tailing him.

Simmons also noted that a few other groups of beach-goers had turned to look at the odd and _tall _man- wearing a lab coat no less- walking swiftly towards the ocean. On second thought they all seemed to take him for one of those 'worrying' fathers- the ones that barely let their child out of their sight.

He must be, the child was barely up to his stomach in water, and was currently splashing about happily.

Nevertheless the father still looked on edge as he returned to where his colleague stood with his arms crossed; Gaz had been left where the water just touched the land.

"I swear-" Simmons began, shaking his head, "when you say that, I don't know whether you're talking about yourself- or"

Membrane snorted and turned to look at the children again.

"Of course, Professor 'Membrane'."

Relative silence, save for the 'other' beach goers and the swarms of seagulls above.

"You really _do _need to relax Membrane… Head back, I'll watch the kids; put on- actually, go _buy _a bathing suit. You need a vacation."

Again, for what seemed like the thousandth time Membrane had to snort at the simple idea. Leave Simmons with both Dib and Gaz? Dib alone was a handful and _Gaz_? Membrane had been relatively surprised when Gaz had followed Simmons down to the beach without a fuss.

No- and he was not here for 'vacation'.

At the obvious 'no' Simmons had to sigh, "You can't work yourself this hard." There were plenty of scientists who simply put, drove themselves into the ground.

Membrane opened his mouth to interject, but he was quickly interrupted, "No, I don't want to hear about this idea of yours, coffee transplants in blood- you know we can't do it. Aren't _allowed _to do it."

Before Membrane could interject with some other crazy idea, sure to set a human off without the need of sleep for at least two weeks-

They were interrupted.

"Dad! DAD!" Dib was calling, ankle deep in water he had a wide smile cracking across his face, "I found a crab!"

"Hm… Simmons, do you think we could dissect a crab? A good learning experience for the children."

"…I'm not sure that qualifies as nor-"

"_DAD_!" The voice was shrill, coming from Gaz, who apparently had, while Dib jumped forward been splashed as the immediate result. "DIB _SPLASHED _ME!"

"No I didn't!" Dib responded, forgetting the sea life, and the possibility of Atlantis.

"Yes he DID!" Gaz screamed stomping in the water sending a spray towards her older brother.

Angrily he splashed her back, and by now each child was screaming towards their father.

"Uh- Membrane, maybe you should…"

More screaming and angry splashing.

"You know, sto-"

Again Simmons was interrupted, this time by a deafening duet of,

"_**DAD**_!"

-

Mm, so that would be Beach Sand and Lab Goggles. This is basically the same Membrane, at least in my mind, from my other fic The Concept. Just, later in his life. Of course reading Concept is not needed. I just consider it the same Membrane... Heh, Membrane at the beach amuses me. I also wanted to introduce Simmons. Well he's not really being 'introduced', but, I wanted to write something with Simmons in the picture as well.

By this time Gaz's mother is not in the picture.


End file.
